The country’s top collegiate, club and local government unit (LGU)-based teams collide as the Philippine National Volleyball Federation (PNVF) launches the Challenge Cup starting today (Tuesday, November 7) at the Rizal Memorial Coliseum in Manila.
Twenty squads in the men’s division and 16 in the women’s side duke it out in 15 days of intense volleyball action—the penultimate tournament the PNVF, headed by Ramon “Tats” Suzara, is hosting this year.
“Three-peat” UAAP champion National University and reigning PNVF Champions League titlist Cignal headline the cast in the men’s division of the tournament supported by PLDT, Rebisco, Akari, Foton and CBPI.
NU is in Pool B with RTU-Basilan, Arellano University, VNS Asereht and University of the East-Cherrylume while Cignal leads Pool A with Kuya JM-Davao City, Savouge Aesthetics, Volida Volleyball Club and University of Batangas.
PGJC Navy, 3B Marikina City, Angatleta-Orion, Bataan, Jose Rizal University and Plaridel, Quezon are Pool C as well as UAAP runner-up University of Santo Tomas, Tacloban City-EV, Iloilo D’Navigators, Santa Rosa City and Emilio Aguinaldo College are in Pool D.
In the women’s division, two-time reigning NCAA queen College of Saint Benilde spearheads Pool A with Volida Volleyball Club, UP Volleyball Club and Parañaque City.
Bunched in Pool B are Philippine Airforce, JRU, Davao City and Tacloban City-EV while Arellano, Letran, University of Batangas and RTU-Basilan make up Pool C.
Completing the fray are the University of the Philippines, San Beda, Lyceum of the Philippines University-Batangas and La Salle-Dasma in Pool D.
